In today's world, more and more people are dealing with mental disorders such as depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Traditional treatments, which include drug therapy and psychotherapy, are often time-consuming and not always effective for all patients. However, new research reviewed in the journal's scientific review Frontiers in Psychology, open the prospect of using ketamine in combination with psychotherapy, which can significantly increase the effectiveness of treatment.
What is ketamine and how does it work?
Ketamine is a drug that was originally developed as an anesthetic. However, in the 21st century, scientists have drawn attention to its potential in the treatment of depression and other mental disorders. Ketamine acts on the glutamate receptors in the brain, which helps to change the neural connections and helps to quickly relieve the symptoms of depression. Unlike traditional anti-depressants, which can take weeks to start working, ketamine shows its effects within hours of administration.
Psychotherapy as an important component of treatment
Psychotherapy is one of the main methods of treatment of mental disorders. She helps patients better understand their emotions, find the causes of their problems, and develop coping strategies. However, sometimes the patient's emotional state is so severe that psychotherapy does not bring the desired results or the treatment process is delayed.
Synergy of ketamine and psychotherapy
Research suggests that the combination of ketamine and psychotherapy may be a breakthrough in the treatment of mental disorders. Ketamine can quickly reduce symptoms of depression, making the patient more open to psychotherapy. A psychotherapeutic session conducted after the introduction of ketamine allows deeper penetration into the patient's subconscious, helps to work with difficult emotions and traumatic memories.
Moreover, ketamine can help change patterns of thinking and behavior, making psychotherapeutic interventions more effective. This approach has the potential to significantly reduce treatment time and increase its effectiveness, especially for patients who have not previously responded to traditional therapies.
Visnovok
The synergy of ketamine and psychotherapy is a promising direction in the treatment of mental disorders. Although this approach still needs more research and clinical trials, the first results promise a significant improvement in the quality of life of many patients. It is important that this method be used under the strict supervision of doctors and psychotherapists, because only in this way can safe and effective treatment be ensured.
Full text of the scientific article:
Mathai, D. S., Mora, V., & Garcia-Romeu, A. (2022). Toward synergies of ketamine and psychotherapy. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 868103.
Our Expio Medical Center is soon planning to start a clinical trial, "A Single-Center, Randomized, Double-Blind, Controlled Clinical Trial of Ketamine-Assisted Integrative Psychotherapy in Veterans with Treatment-Resistant Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)." We hope that its results will contribute to the widespread implementation of new methods of therapy that can significantly improve the quality of life of many people who have experienced psychological trauma.